# Checkered brick pattern on farm silos **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 28, 2000, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checkered-brick-pattern-on-farm-silos/47459 "2000-12-28T00:36:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Powers106](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@Powers106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers106)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2000, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checkered-brick-pattern-on-farm-silos/47459/1 "2000-12-28T00:36:52Z")
Over Christmas, I drove with my family across Minnesota and Wisconsin. We passed quite a few small farms and I noticed that the silos always had a white and black/grey check pattern for two rows at the top. Most of the silos also had a domed cover, but some did not. Does anyone know the purpose of this pattern and why some silos wouldn’t be covered? Seems like they’d be full of snow… ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2000, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checkered-brick-pattern-on-farm-silos/47459/2 "2000-12-28T01:21:11Z")
A brief history of tower silo construction. [http://www.goequinox.com/towersof.htm](http://www.goequinox.com/towersof.htm) A silo needs a cover. [link](http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/environment/EFP/efp10-silage_storage.htm#10-4) [another link](http://www.inform.umd.edu/EdRes/Topic/AgrEnv/ndd/faciliti/HARVESTING_AND_UTILIZING_SILAGE_PART_2_OF_2.html) > [@](#): > > Coverings. When silo filling is complete, cover the surface immediately to minimize undesirable fermentation and spoilage due to excess water or air at the surface (Table 14). Black plastic (polyethylene or polyvinyl) is a practical cover which should be secured along all edges and the entire surface weighed down. An unweighted plastic cover will flap in the wind, and can pump air from small leaks or punctures over the entire silage surface and cause spoilage. Plastic covers should be protected from punctures by rodents, livestock, dogs, cats, and small wild animals. My guess as to why some of the silos didn’t seem to have a cover would be that either the farmer wasn’t using the silo that year, or that he was using a plain plastic sheet or cover of some kind, that wasn’t domed. As for the checkerboard pattern, I know exactly what you’re talking about. I always assumed it was just artistic–nothing in the stuff I’ve been reading here mentions any particular technical reason for the pattern. I think even bricklayers like it to look nice. Miscellaneous stuff about silos from the International Silo Safety Conference that’s fascinating if you like that sort of thing and you have 30 minutes with nothing better to do. [still another link](http://www.fsai.on.ca/B02016.HTM) [Note: I fixed the links. -manhattan] [Edited by manhattan on 12-27-2000 at 07:31 PM] ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2000, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checkered-brick-pattern-on-farm-silos/47459/3 "2000-12-28T01:23:06Z")
Shoot, I got so involved Copy and Pasting that I forgot about the really long link messy word wrap bug. Could some kind moderator fix that? Thank you. :o ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2000, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checkered-brick-pattern-on-farm-silos/47459/4 "2000-12-28T03:11:56Z")
It strikes me that the checkerboard pattern might be a throwback to the old barnstorming days. A silo was usually the tallest object on the farm. Maybe it was to provide low level tree-hopping flyers some warning. What would help to confirm this is if the pattern only appeared after the advent of flight. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2001, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checkered-brick-pattern-on-farm-silos/47459/5 "2001-01-02T00:31:52Z")
Farmers like decorative ornamentation just like anybody else, and to show up the neighbors too. Side note: The silo company would install a large wind vane on the silos around here when you made the last payment. My uncle would be driving down the road, and all of a sudden he’d shout out. “He’s got his third silo paid for already.”